Southport residents Gwen and Scott Powell with their children (l-r) Emma, Olivia and Tyler, who were all born at Bridgeport Hospital.

Southport’s Gwen Powell remembers the soft lighting,
the serene music, the aromatherapy, the special
pillows… and drifting off to sleep. But this wasn’t
a day at the spa, it was a postnatal (after baby is born) massage—
a gift from her husband, Scott—in her room in
Bridgeport Hospital’s Women’s Care Center, just a day after
giving birth to their sweet baby girl, Olivia. “It was incredible
and just what I needed,” remembers Gwen. “Olivia was
asleep in the nursery, and I got this luxurious pampering.”

It’s been a few months since Gwen and Scott brought Olivia
home. Now, adjusting to life with three young children
(older daughter Emma is 8 and son Tyler is 4), Gwen longs
for that postnatal massage and the relaxation it provided.

“The session brings Mom comfort when she needs it most,”
says Tracy Grebla, a licensed massage therapist (LMT) who
offers prenatal (before baby is born) and postnatal massages
to Bridgeport Hospital patients. “Her body has been
through so many amazing changes over the past nine
months. Massage and relaxation can help her feel invigorated
and renewed so that she is ready to go home and take
care of her wonderful new bundle of joy.”

Massage is only one of the special amenities The Birthplace
at Bridgeport Hospital offers to its patients. Today moms
can select among all sorts of options that previous generations
never knew could be a part of the hospital birthing
experience. From room service to private quarters, these little
extras can help create the perfect setting for parents to
meet the newest member of the family.

From the moment expectant mothers arrive until it’s time
to bring Baby home, moms are wrapped in comfort — beginning with special Maternity
Stork Parking. Conveniently located
directly outside the Emergency
Department, these reserved spaces
are available for moms in labor. The
transport team then whisks moms
directly to the Labor & Delivery
Unit, part of The Birthplace at
Bridgeport Hospital.

Labor & Delivery features private,
spacious rooms where expectant
mothers labor, give birth and recover.
Each room is equipped with a full
private bathroom, a sofa, a special
Dad Chair which opens out to a bed, a television, wireless
internet access, views of Long Island Sound and lots of natural
light. Two rooms also feature Jacuzzi tubs. Corian
countertops and ceramic tile complete the designer décor.
State-of-the-art medical technology is cleverly hidden
behind framed artwork and in oak cabinets resembling
bedroom furniture. “I love how it doesn’t look like a traditional
hospital floor,” remembers Gwen. “With its natural
lighting, fluffy pillows and beautiful photographs along the
walls, my room looked more like a spacious guest room
than a place to have a baby.”

Electronic fetal monitoring equipment and communication
systems track Mom and Baby, so physicians and nurses are instantly alerted to any
changes in medical condition. And
each room has a special hotline
phone that connects immediately
to the Newborn Intensive Care
Unit, just in case. “The high level
of technology in each room
increases the level of patient safety,”
says OB/GYN Donna Sinclair,
MD, who delivered baby Olivia in
June. “Wherever I am in the unit,
I have direct access to the monitors
or the monitoring data for all of
my patients.”

When she was pregnant with her son, Tyler, Gwen was
diagnosed with a serious heart condition in which her
heart rate would suddenly skyrocket to dangerous levels.
Her condition rapidly escalated during labor, which
required Bridgeport Hospital cardiologists to administer
medication to bring it back down to a safe rate. “While
Gwen was in labor, we were able to coordinate all of her
care in one room,” says OB/GYN Marina Torbey, MD,
Gwen’s physician. “She was quickly diagnosed, had a safe
delivery and then was immediately treated by Bridgeport
Hospital cardiologists, who stabilized her condition.”

When Pregnancies Get Complicated

When Gwen was in the 27th week of her pregnancy with daughter Olivia, she suddenly developed painful contractions.
Her physician, OB/GYN Marina Torbey, MD, recommended that Gwen have a fetal fibronectin (fFN) test. (The fFN
test is for pregnant women who have one or more symptoms that may predict preterm labor.) “When Dr. Torbey called
me with the results, she said I needed to be seen immediately,” remembers Gwen. The problem? Gwen was at work. In
Manhattan. “I only trusted Bridgeport Hospital, so I hired a car to take me directly there,” Gwen remembers. “Dr. Stiller
and the team in the Antenatal Testing Unit did a scan, measured me and put my mind at ease. I knew I was in good hands.”

“We were very concerned because Gwen had delivered prematurely in her previous pregnancy,” says Chief of Maternal-
Fetal Medicine Robert Stiller, MD. “Fortunately, we were able to determine that this was not true preterm labor and
felt confident sending her home.”

Gwen remembers the crowd of physicians around her bed.
“At one point, there were something like seven doctors and nurses in my room,” she says.
“The room was so big, no one
was elbowing anyone out of
the way—not even my husband!”
she laughs.

Many pregnant women have
questions about the pain and
pressures experienced in the
different stages of labor.
“Whether you’re here having
your first or fourth baby, we
love to teach you about what
to expect and what’s going on,”
says Karen Burrows, MAHSM,
BSN, RN, CCRN, Nurse Manager in the Labor &
Delivery Unit. “We encourage questions. We will explain
the equipment, the procedures, the beeps you may hear—
anything that’s on a patient’s mind.”

The team is also able to offer women all sorts of ways to
relieve the pain of labor. “Some women feel relief in the
shower or from sitting, rolling or bouncing on a birthing
ball,” says Burrows. “We like to offer women all kinds of
options prior to pain medication, if they wish.” (See “Pain
Relief During Labor,” below.) Walking can help their labor
progress and some women choose to walk around the unit
and the family lounge, a comfortable living-room atmosphere
with plush seating available for family members to
relax. “We also welcome nurse midwives and doulas, who
can provide additional comfort or techniques to help with
pain or delivery.” When it’s time to deliver, some women
request the use of a birthing bar, which is easily connected
to the bed, or an alternate position from which to push.

The Birthplace also provides special services for patients
with unique needs. For instance, there’s a latex-free room
for moms with allergies.

The nurses delight in every birth and can’t resist celebrating
each baby born in The Birthplace. Right after birth, babies
get a warm hat and are swaddled snugly in a blanket.
If it’s a holiday, the tiny cap might have a patriotic theme
or be orange and black for Halloween.

“After the baby is born, we all love the Hollywood-red
carpet Paparazzi moment,” explains Burrows. “Family are
poised outside the door with cameras and some of us,
eagerly waiting the big arrival. Finally, the door to Mom’s
room swings open and out walks the spouse or birth partner—
sometimes with the bundle of joy—with a huge smile. Everyone snaps pictures
and applauds. It’s such a proud
moment for all of us!”

Mom and Baby are then
escorted to the Women’s Care
Center (WCC), where they are
cared for during the remainder
of their stay. The WCC provides
moms with home-like
postpartum rooms, each with a
private bathroom, to recover,
rest and bond with Baby. A
spouse or family member can
stay overnight in a sleeper
chair. Natural light streams in through large windows.
Wireless internet connections allow parents to use their
laptops to e-mail photos of their newborn to family and
friends. The hospital’s patient education channel provides
special programming about baby care and breastfeeding.
The hospital’s new At Your RequestTM Room Service
Program (revised Spring 2009) offers everything from lowsalt
and low-calorie options to kosher meals. “My husband
and I loved the wide variety this time around!” Gwen says.

Pain Relief During Labor

When it comes to medication for pain relief, the
Birthplace has anesthesiologists available 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. Choices of anesthesia include:

Epidural anesthesia, a type of regional pain relief in
which pain-relieving medication is injected into the
space around the lower spinal cord. Patients remain
awake and pain free, and may even be able to walk.

Spinal anesthesia, which is similar to an epidural,
but its effects are felt much faster. Patients may feel
numb and will need help to move during the delivery.
Spinal anesthesia is used mostly for delivery by cesarean
section or when the use of forceps is necessary.

Sedation (narcotics or tranquilizers), which can
be given as an injection or intravenously. Sedation
can help decrease anxiety, improve relaxation and
reduce the pain of labor but will not eliminate pain.

Local anesthesia, an injection of local anesthetic to
numb the perineal area (between the vulva and the
rectum) in preparation for delivery.

General anesthesia (for emergency deliveries), in which
patients remain unconscious through the delivery.

There are also a few congratulatory surprises for moms—
but no spoilers here! “We love making moms feel special,”
says Eileen Callahan, RNC, BSN, Nurse Manager of the
Women’s Care Center.

“Technical expertise is the foundation of everything we
do,” says Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology Harold
Sauer, MD. “But we never lose sight of the fact that having
a baby is one of life’s most thrilling experiences. We’re
celebrating right along with Mom!”

“I loved all three of my birth experiences at Bridgeport
Hospital,” says Gwen. “The facilities met all my needs. I’m
so glad I made the right choice!”

Obstetricians at Bridgeport Hospital

When picking an obstetrician for expert care, be sure to select one who chooses to deliver
at Bridgeport Hospital: